I am soon to be starting Sandhurst and am very interested in serving as a Gurkha officer if chosen by the regiment. While I am aware that it's extremely important to be able to get on with the Gurkhas I was hoping someone could give me some indication as to what the Messes are like in 1 and 2 Battalion RGR? Unfortunately I won't get to visit a Mess in the immediate future to see first hand, hopefully an opportunity will arise.

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I am soon to be starting Sandhurst and am very interested in serving as a Gurkha officer if chosen by the regiment. While I am aware that it's extremely important to be able to get on with the Gurkhas I was hoping someone could give me some indication as to what the Messes are like in 1 and 2 Battalion RGR? Unfortunately I won't get to visit a Mess in the immediate future to see first hand, hopefully an opportunity will arise.

They gamble away each other's Scottish estates over backgammon, whilst braying about what Lloyds did to their inheritance in the 80's.

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Only in their dreams.

The Indian Army of old and the Gurkhas were traditionally a way for officers who didn't have a private income or the right background to get a Pimms lifestyle on a brown ale salary.

Things have changed, but the Gurkhas are definitely NOT the Guards as far as things like that are concerned, however much some still like to give that impression, and the reality is that their officers at least start out similar to those in any line regiment, with similar backgrounds (a reasonable cross section). Unfortunately sometimes the urge to be "sah'b like" is still prevalent and people change over time.

When I went for my interview with LOBG (Fat Bob) prior to my attachment to the Gurkhas, admittedly 3 decades ago, I was amazed that the first question I was asked, literally, was not what could I offer the Gurkhas or why did I want to serve with them but "What school did you go to?"* - the only time I have ever been asked such a question, and one which would never be asked in the Guards (there would be no need) or the Line Infantry (there would be no point).

The one problem with the "Mess atmosphere" that you should be aware of is that because there are less "British" junior officers than in other Line Regiments there is a very different atmosphere - instead of a dozen or more subalterns (Lts / junior Capts) there may only be half a dozen, with some of those away on courses, exercise, etc, which can make a very big difference. This particularly applies in Brunei, where RGR spend half their time so where you will spend half your time at regimental duty, where there are no other units around for company, the Officers' Mess is some distance from the barracks, and there is little in the way of outside social life and no operational role. Add in that there are no longer likely to be any deployments (such as to Iraq or Afghanistan) from Brunei and that whereas 20 years ago your soldiers were generally young and unaccompanied and happy to spend most of their time playing volleyball or doing fatigues, now because of changes to TACOS they are going to be much older and generally married-accompanied - hardly an ideal atmosphere for young officers in their formative years.